The First Moroccan Crisis

• 1905 to 1906
• In January 1905 France put forward a proposal of turning Morocco into a French protectorate and taking control of the country’s armed forces and policy
• Wilhelm saw Morocco as a way to test Britain’s loyalty to the Entente Cordiale
• Germany also feared that Morocco becoming a French protectorate would threaten their commercial interests in the area
• Kaiser Wilhelm and von Bulow visited the Moroccan capital, Tangiers, on the 31st March 1905, and in a speech said that Germany would support the independence of Morocco which was an outright challenge to France
• France called an international conference in Algeciras, Spain
• At the Algeciras Conference, much to the Kaisers disappointment, all the powers represented, except Austria-Hungry, supported the French
• Wilhelm’s plan to divide the Entente Cordiale backfired and Britain was outraged by Germany’s actions
• Edward VII said the Kaiser’s actions were ‘the most outraged and uncalled for’
• The First Moroccan Crisis actually resulted in the Cordiale drawing closer
• At the 1880 Madrid Conference all major European countries and the USA agreed that all powers had equal trading rights in Morocco.
• French and German traders were active in Morocco and hoped to gain a more secure political influence there too, which would undermine the Madrid agreements.
• Germany feared that Morocco would become a French protectorate like Tunisia had in 1881, which it feared would threaten the interests of German merchants in the region.
• Declasse, French FM had to resign in 1905 as he wanted to resist German demands in Morocco but his colleagues wanted a more conciliatory approach as they knew that war with Germany would be risky without Russia as the Russo-Japanese war was still ongoing.
• Edward Grey, the new FM, was very suspicious of Germany, advocated total support for France during the Algeciras conference.
• The British had made no military preparations to back the French and subsequent military talks were ineffectual, meaning that there was no solid agreement against Germany as a result of the Algeciras Conference.
• Algeciras Conference:

  • France would be allowed extensive control over the Moroccan police and state bank.
  • Germany had to be satisfied with the reaffirmed guarantees of freedom for all powers to trade in the region, and the independence of the Moroccan Sultan
• The Kaiser was deeply frustrated, believing that he had been treated disrespectfully by the other powers - its key aim of getting Britain to reconsider the Anglo-French entente failed, meaning that German intervention in Morocco had been a disaster.
• Wilhelm II's fears after the First Crisis were increased, discouraging Germany from using international conferences as a means of settling disputes.
• Germany's fear of encirclement by hostile powers increased as Russia and Britain came together in their agreement in 1907, and although this agreement provided no guarantee of military support, Britain was far less likely to support any German foreign policy against Russia.